2021-09-08 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mike and Erica Palmer 1844 Old Mill Court Centerville, MN 55038 May 4, 2021 City of Centerville 1880 Main Street Centerville, MN 55038 To whom it may concern, Our family moved into our new home at 1844 Old Mill Court in November 2020 and have very much enjoyed seeing our neighborhood come together in the short time we have lived here. After a quiet winter, we have built strong relationships with our neighbors and the neighborhood kids have enjoyed playing in the quiet cul-de-sac. It is truly everything we were hoping it would be when we made the decision to build our dream home in Old Mill Estates. However, as the weather continues to improve and the neighborhood continues to grow, we are reminded of something that nearly caused us to abandon our dreams of purchasing our home; the proposed eight- foot-wide bike path that would be within touching distance of our house. As our home was being constructed, we unknowingly walked the area of the proposed path many times, as it was the perfect spot for us to look through the window and check the progress of construction inside the house. Now we know that the area where we once stood could become public space where anyone would be able to look in the window, which raises concerns over our privacy. We have two small children, so you can imagine how unnerving the thought of that is. We intentionally designed our home with the main living areas and windows overlooking the protected wetland area on the eastern side of our property. This was done to take advantage of the scenic views and privacy offered by the wetland. The path would not only change our view, but more importantly our sense of security and privacy. Just to be clear, the path is close enough where someone can reach out and touch the house, without any effort at all. We had plans of building a deck leading down to a large patio facing toward the wetland area. We can no longer follow through on these plans due to anxiety over passersby walking through our property. Further, we understand that the path would be plowed in the winter, which gives us concern over damage to our property due to the extremely close proximity to our house. The cul-de-sac has easy access to the adjacent neighborhood and there is no logical reason to add a path which will impede on our home space and be nothing more than an additional space to maintain by the city. Respectfully, the proposed path does not make any sense for our neighborhood. Our street will be connected to the park by sidewalk, so safety is not of concern. The path is simply a convenience. We truly do not believe our rights to security and privacy should be compromised for the sake of convenience. As residents of Centerville, we ask that you consider our lives in your decision to require this path. Sincerely, The Palmer Family Mike, Erica, Ella and Nolan